New in BlackBerry 7.1

BlackBerry 7.1 enhances the BlackBerry experience with new functionality and innovative apps.

BlackBerry Tag

Send pictures, songs, videos, documents, contacts, webpages and voice notes between two NFC-enabled devices. Simply tap the back of your BlackBerry smartphone against the back of another NFC-enabled device. For more information, see BlackBerry Tag.

Smart tags

A new intuitive user interface enables you to easily create smart tags and share information with other NFC-enabled device users. Create a smart tag to open a webpage, call a phone number, send a text or email message, open an application or view a location on a map. You can also copy your smart tag information to writable smart tag stickers to add to posters and more. For more information, see Smart tags.

Wi-Fi calling

If your wireless service provider supports Wi-Fi calling and you subscribe to this service, you can make and receive calls over the Wi-Fi network. For more information, see Wi-Fi calling.

Mobile Hotspot mode

When you turn on Mobile Hotspot mode, you can use your smartphone as a Mobile Hotspot so that other Wi-Fi enabled devices can use the mobile network connection on your smartphone. For more information, see Mobile Hotspot mode.

Emergency alert messages

If your wireless service provider or organisation participates in CMAS, you can receive emergency alert messages (presidential, imminent threat to safety of life and amber alert messages) on your smartphone. For more information, see Emergency alert messages.

New in BlackBerry 7

BlackBerry 7 includes a number of exciting new features and services, as well as some enhancements to existing features.

BlackBerry ID

A BlackBerry
ID is an email and password that you create that gives you convenient access to BlackBerry products and services. After you create your BlackBerry
ID, you can log in to any BlackBerry product that supports BlackBerry
ID. For example, with BlackBerry
ID you can manage apps that you downloaded from the BlackBerry App World storefront and keep apps you downloaded when you switch smartphones. For more information, see About the BlackBerry ID.

Voice enabled search

Looking for something? You can now use your voice to search for help, contacts, documents, pictures, videos and more on your BlackBerry smartphone and on the Internet. For more information, see Search for an item using voice enabled search.

Compass application

Easily determine your direction in relation to the Earth's magnetic poles or to true north. You can also use the compass with location-based applications (such as the Maps application) to find directions by using co-ordinates. For more information, see Compass.

NFC technology

NFC technology allows you to quickly exchange information between your smartphone and smart accessories, smart payment terminals, smart access points and smart tags. When you tap the NFC smart tag reader of your smartphone against a smart tag, you can see information such as web addresses, coupons, graphics, media files and event details. For more information, see NFC technology.

Touch-free call answering

You don't need to use your hands to answer calls when you use a Bluetooth® enabled headset or a wired headset! Now you can set your smartphone to answer calls automatically after 5 seconds. For more information, see Change how you answer calls with a headset.

Bluetooth enhancements

You can now send multiple pictures at once using Bluetooth technology. For more information, see Send a file.

Conveniently send and receive a contact card (also known as a vCard) using Bluetooth technology, and save the received contact card into your smartphone's contact list. For more information, see Send contact cards using Bluetooth technology.

Video enhancements

Picture enhancements

When you rotate pictures in JPEG and PNG formats, the pictures are saved automatically in the rotated view.

Sort pictures from either newest to oldest, or oldest to newest, to see a slide show in the order that pictures were taken.

You can now view pictures in a slide show using transitions such a sliding, zooming and panning. For more information, see Change your slide show options.